When Mother Nature Strikes – Event Communication Tips

  • By Ashley Ranich | Thursday, December 22nd, 2016
When Mother Nature Strikes - Event Communication Tips

When the weather is especially unpredictable and event organizers have to make the tough call to postpone an event, an effective communication strategy is a must. To spread the word quickly and smoothly, use tools within the ShowClix admin coupled with social media updates to craft a foolproof plan.

Email

Make email the first step in alerting attendees of an event cancellation or postponement – it is the easiest and fastest way to reach all buyers. To ensure that you grab their attention, use the subject line to convey your message succinctly – this is an exception to the general rule of using all caps sparingly!

Our Email Campaigns tool offers two different types of emails for event organizers to send to their event attendees: operational and marketing. Use the operational email option to send Critical/Event Updates to let all attendees know that there has been a postponement or cancellation of their event. These differ from marketing emails because even if an attendee has opted out of email alerts, it will still be sent to them.

But what if despite your efforts, an attendee still misses the memo waiting for them in their inbox? This is where your online and social media presence comes into play.

Website

The next step of your communication plan is to update your website to reflect event changes. On your landing page, create a very visible message to your fans explaining the change including relevant points of contact and any next steps (e.g. support email address and phone number).

Don’t forget to also update your ShowClix event listings in a similar fashion as on your website. If sales are still running – consider stopping them the moment you learn of a weather cancellation!

Social Media

Utilize your social media accounts to send additional alerts to your fans and to field questions they may have. Leverage the full power of your social media presence by notifying your attendees on every platform that you utilize.

Facebook

Utilize Facebook’s posting style and length to write a longer explanation to your attendees. Your post should contain why the event is cancelled, if the times were moved, whether or not it will be rescheduled, and other relevant information regarding the change. One post per day on Facebook makes it more likely that if someone missed your other updates, they’ll catch it the next time around.

Twitter

Consider the rapid nature of Twitter’s timeline – Tweets are seen and recycled quickly. Thus, when using Twitter to communicate weather changes, it’s appropriate to post as much as three to five times in a single day! As Tweets are contained to 140 characters, be succinct and make every character count. Consider using a Tweet to link to a more in-depth explanation on your website.

Instagram

While it is less likely that a ticket buyer will check Instagram for specific event information, use this platform to show your event’s personality in the face of tribulation. For example, a comic con event cancelled due to a blizzard could cleverly utilize an image depicting a superhero caught in a snowstorm! Caption your photo with a short summary of the cancellation. To guard against any unanswered questions, include a link to your website.

Customer Support

Some customers prefer a real voice on the other end of the line to ease their worries. Prep your customer care team and alert ShowClix so both teams can effectively handle questions via the call center. Prepare a script or FAQ for representatives to stick to that addresses common questions regarding refund policies or rescheduling.